montana legislature
Montana Audubon worked on the following bills during the 2009 Montana Legislature. Bills marked with an asterisk (*) appear in our 2009 Voting Record. For an assessment of how the Audubon generally faired at the Montana Legislature, click HERE > >.
Legislation appears in the following categories:
- Montana Audubon's Top Conservation Priorities
- Climate Change, Energy & Mining
- Wildlife & Habitat Protection
- General Environmental Protection
- Recreation, Public Lands, & Forest Protection
- Subdivsions & Land Use Planning
- Water
- Program Funding
| Bill/Sponsor | Description | Status | Audubon Position |
| Big Sky Rivers Act
HB 455/Rep. Michele Reinhart, D-Missoula |
This bill will establish a streamside management area for new residential and commercial buildings along 10 of our significant rivers. The streamside management area will be 250 ft from the ordinary high water mark, including also creates a 150-foot vegetated buffer (located adjacent to the river) to protect water quality. More Info Here | Defeated in House: failed in House Local Goverment Committee on a 9-9 vote. | SUPPORT PRIORITY BILL |
| HB 443/Rep. Mike Menahan, D-Helena | This bill changes the definition of nongame animal to allow FWP to have clear authority over such species as prairie dogs, bats, and similar species. More Info Here | Passed House 53-47, Defeated in Senate | SUPPORT* PRIORITY BILL |
| HB 584/Rep. Art Noonan, D-Butte | This bill will look at establishing a program to certify new wind projects that have implemented measures to minimize impacts to wildlife, critical wildlife habitat, and other areas of special concern. This would be a voluntary program, but may include a tax incentive. More Info Here | Passed House 82-18, Defeated in Senate on a tie (25-25) vote | SUPPORT* PRIORITY BILL |
| HB 646/Rep. Wanda Grinde, D-Billings | This bill would create a program to give grants to Montana schools for improving the energy efficiency of school buildings. High-energy use and inefficient buildings wastes tax dollars and causes unnecessary pollution of our air and water. | This bill was incorporated into HB 645; it passed both houses of the legislature and was signed by the Governor | SUPPORT PRIORITY BILL |
| HB 641/Rep. Art Noonan, D-Butte | An Energy Efficiency Standard for Utilities would require utilities to increase efforts to improve energy efficiency. It would save ratepayers money on their utility bills, decrease the demand utility services, and decrease global warming pollution. | Defeated in House: failed in House Energy Committee | SUPPORT PRIORITY BILL |
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| HB 359/Rep. Pominchowski, D-Bozeman | This bill would improve public notification for gravel pit development. | Defeated in House | SUPPORT |
| HB 582/Rep. Caferro, D-Helena | This bill would create a green jobs training program. | Defeated in House: failed in House Committee on 9-9 vote | SUPPORT |
| HB 27/Rep. Wiseman, D-Bozeman | This bill would remove the sunset on the Universal Systems Benefit Program. | Passed House 63-37, Passed Senate 36-13, Signed by Governor | SUPPORT* |
| HB 375/Rep. Phillips, D-Bozeman | This bill would create a bipartisan interim committee of legislators that would consider the impacts of climate change and specifically the impacts of regional or federal carbon regulation. | Passed House Defeated in Senate on a 22-27 vote |
SUPPORT |
| SJ 24/Sen. Hawks, D-Bozeman | This resolution would allow for an interim study of the affects to Montana of implementing a regional climate change strategy such as the Western Climate Initiative | Defeated in Senate Committee | SUPPORT |
| HB 254/Rep. Phillips, D-Bozeman | This bill would require industry to monitor and report to the Dept. of Environmental Quality on greenhouse gas emissions. | Defeated in House Committee | SUPPORT |
| SB 66/Sen. Erickson, D-Missoula | This bill establishes standards for the sequestration of carbon dioxide, which will reduce the impacts of coal-based energy projects. | Defeated in Senate Committee | SUPPORT |
| SB 49/Sen. Wanzenried, D-Missoula | This bill would require that new state buildings and major renovations on state buildings would maximize their energy efficiency. | Passed Senate 44-6, Passed House 72-27, Signed by Governor |
SUPPORT |
| HB 255/Rep. Phillips, D-Bozeman | This bill would incrementally increase the percentage of energy power companies must get from renewable sources in the years 2020-2025. | Defeated in House Committee | SUPPORT |
| SB 360/Sen. Keane, D-Butte | This bill would revise the Major Facilities Siting Act to expand the right-of-way by 10% or 10 miles to avoid sensitive areas. | Passed Senate & House, amended by Governor | OPPOSE/Amend (Amendments made us neutral) |
| SB 257/Sen. Keane, D-Butte | This bill would include upgrades and routine maintenance to hydroelectric facilities in the definition of a renewable energy resource. More Info Here | Passed Senate 40-10, Passed House 57-43, Vetoed by Governor | OPPOSE* |
| SB 37/Sen. Kaufmann, D-Helena | This bill would increase the tax credit for energy saving expenditures. | Passed Senate 29-21, Defeated in House | SUPPORT |
| SB 301/Sen. Cooney, D-Helena | This bill would increase the state income tax credit for energy efficiency expenditures by homeowners and owners of residential rental properties. | Defeated in Senate Committee | SUPPORT |
| HB 420/Rep. Reinhart, D-Missoula | This bill would allow municipalities to adopt their own building codes with higher energy conservation standards than the state. | Passed House & Senate, signed by Governor | SUPPORT |
| SB 180/Sen. Erickson, D-Missoula | This bill would establish CAFE, or emissions standards, for new vehicles sold in MT. | Defeated in Senate Committee | SUPPORT |
| SB 297/Sen. Larsen, D-Missoula | This bill would require the state to map sand and gravel resources and make the information available to the public and local governements. | Passed Senate & House, signed by Governor | SUPPORT |
| HB 313/Rep. Pomnichowski, D-Bozeman | This bill would require gravel pit developers to provide notice to area residents and create standards for when a public hearing must be held in response to opposition. | Deafeated in House Committee | SUPPORT |
| HB 20/Rep. Dickenson, D-Great Falls | This bill would take a percentage of the oil and natural gas tax and create an account to weatherize low income homes. | Defeated in House Committee | SUPPORT |
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| SB 183/Sen. Balyeat, R-Bozeman | This bill voids Montana's Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, which has been approved by the US Fish & Wildlife Service - an essential step toward delisting wolves from the Endangered Species Act. Read More Here | Deafeated in Senate: failed on a 23-27 vote | OPPOSE* |
| HB 79/Rep. Stahl, R-Saco | This bill would prevent state agencies from acquiring new state lands without getting rid of land they already own (a no net gain of state land). | Deafeated in Hoouse Committee | OPPOSE |
| SB 15/Sen. Steinbeisser, R-Sidney | This bill would declare the walleye a native species. It could have impacted funding for native species and introduction projects for walleye. | Deafeated in Seanate Committee | OPPOSE |
| SB 217/Sen. Barrett, R-Dillon | This bill would require FWP to reimburse livestock owner for disease testing. It would also jeopradize federal funding of all other FWP programs. | Passed Senate, Defeated in House |
OPPOSE* |
| SB 228/Sen. Barrett, R-Dillon | As introduced, this bill would require FWP to issue special kill permits for wolves, amending Montana's wolf recovery plan and triggering review by the federal government (delaying wolf delisting unnecessarily). The problematic language from this bill was amended out. | Passed Senate 35-15, Passed House 87-13, Signed by Governor | NEUTRAL w/ Amendments |
| SB 164/Sen. Barrett, R-Dillon | This bill would force FWP to make weed control the top priority on new lands over other important concerns such as public health, safety and sanitation. | Passed Senate 27-23, Passed House 100-0, Signed by Governor | NEUTRAL w/ Amendments |
| HB 25/Rep. McChesney, D-Miles City | Department of transportation water right for wetland projects. | Defeated in House Committee | AMEND |
| SJ 15/Sen. Tutvedt, R-Kalispell | This resolution urges the delisting of the gray wolf and supports the management plan proposed by FWP. | Passed Senate 48-0, Passed House 50 - 0 | SUPPORT |
| SJ 13/Sen. Zinke, R-Whitefish | This resolution calls for Montana to recognize the centennial aniversary of Glacier National Park | Passsed Senate 46-4, Passed House 87-10 | SUPPORT |
| SB 213/Sen. Bales, R-Otter | This bill would have required FWP to prevent disease transmission between wildlife and livestock. MT Audubon amended the bill to work toward preventing disease transmission. | Passed Senate 50-0, Defeated in House | NEUTRAL w/ Amendments |
| HJ 10/Rep. Phillips, D-Bozeman | This resolution would ask the US Congress to seek new funding sources through carbon legislation to fund research, monitoring and management for wildlife affected by climate change. | Defeated in House Committee | SUPPORT |
| SB 343/Sen. Jackson, R-Kalispell | This bill enables cooperation of state agencies to address aquatic invasive species. Read More Here | Passed Senate 44-3, Passed House 84 - 12, Signed by Governor | SUPPORT |
| SB 202/Sen. Hinkle, R-Thompson Falls | This bill is meant to stop people from attracting concentrations of ungulates that can cause public safety problems. MT Audubon amended the bill to ensure recreational bird feeding was not inadvertently banned. | Passed Senate 45-4, Passed House 91-9, Signed by Governor | SUPPORT/AMEND |
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| SB 440/Sen. Gebhardt, R-Roundup | This bill would exempt air quality permits from MEPA. Read More Here | Passed Senate 26-24, Defeated in House | OPPOSE* |
| HB 566/Rep. Jones, R-Conrad | This bill takes away the ability of state agencies to use MEPA in decisionmaking and removes any consequences for failure to comply with MEPA. Read More Here | Defeated in House | OPPOSE* |
| HB 529/Rep. Jones, R-Conrad | This bill significantly limits environmental reviews of impacts from wind farms on state lands. | Passed House & Senate, Signed by Governor | OPPOSE* |
| SB 288/Sen. Hinkle, R-Thompson Falls | This bill would force citizens to post a bond to challenge a permit or to seek an injunction against an energy development project. | Passed Senate, Defeated in House | OPPOSE |
| SB 417/Sen. Keane, D-Butte | This bill would prohibit legal challenges under the Montana Environmental Protection Act regardless of agency compliance with law. Read More Here | Passed Senate 29-21, Defeated in House | OPPOSE* |
| HB 483/Rep. Jones, R-Conrad | This bill would make it virtually impossible for citizens to appeal DEQ approvals of all air, water and major facilities siting permits. This bill is almost identical to SB 387 by Sen. Bales, R-Otter Read More Here | Passed House 68-32, Passed Senate 30-20, Governors amendments improved this bill better |
OPPOSE* |
| SB 478/Sen Brenden, R-Scobey | This bill would prohibit perpetual conservation easements. | Deafeated in Senate Committee | OPPOSE |
| SJ 23/Sen. Moss, D-Billings | This resolution would have the state consider children's access to nature and ways to promote young people's engagement in their environment. | Defeated in Senate 21-27 | SUPPORT* |
| HB 249/Rep. Stahl, R-Saco | This bill would tax perpetual conservation easements. | Defeated in House Committee | OPPOSE |
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| HB 674/Rep. Vincent, R-Libby | This bill would allow the state to post a bond of up to $21 million for the purchace of 26,000 acres of former Plum Creek timber land. These lands in the Potomac area would be working forests for the benefit of the state school trust. | Passed House 98-2, Passed Senate 37-13, Signed by Governor | SUPPORT* |
| HB 14/Rep. Nooney, R-Missoula | This bill would allow the state to issue bonds for the purchase of former Plum Creek timber lands. | Defeated in House Committee (it was replaced by HB 674) | SUPPORT |
| HB 402/Rep. French, D-Scobey | This bill would remove the termination date for the state land banking program, and with an Audubon approved amendment, would increase the amount of land the state could sell to 250,000 acres. | Passed House & Senate, signed by Governor | SUPPORT/ AMEND |
| HB 190/ Rep. Van Dyk, D-Billings | This concensus Bridge Access bill solves the problem of stream access at county road bridges, allowing landowners to attach a fence from their land to a bridge, but also allowing for a mechanism for recreationists to access our streams. | Passed House & Senate, signed by Governor | SUPPORT |
| HB 140/Rep. Vincent, R-Libby | This bill allows DNRC to increase timber harvests up to 10% above the sustained yield for forest health. | Passed House 86-14, Passed Senate 43-6, Signed by Governor | OPPOSE |
| HJ 4/Rep. Vincent, R-Libby | A resolution asking Congress to allow Governors to delcare hazardous fuels emergencies that would allow timber harvest on federal land that would be exempt from the National Environmental Policy Act. | Passed House 59-41, Passed Senate 35-15 | OPPOSE |
| HJ 7/Rep. Vincent, R-Libby | A resolution to ask Congress to allow local and state government to aggressively suppress fire on federal land and discourage federal road closures that might block access for fire suppression. | Passed House 89-10, Passed Senate 44-3 | OPPOSE |
| HB 26/Rep. Peterson, R-Billings | This Bridge Access bill was developed without any consensus and would leave each county in charge of solving individual bridge access problems. | Deafeated in House Committee | OPPOSE |
| SB 129/Sen. Lewis, R-Helena | This bill creates a fire management easement program that gives landowners an incentive to build fewer homes in the wild land-urban interface. | Defeated in Senate Committee | SUPPORT |
| SJ 19/Sen. Peterson, R-Buffalo | This resolution would urge the federal government to prioritize management for grazing at the Charles M. Russel Wildlife Refuge. | Passed Senate 50-0, Passed House 78-22 | OPPOSE |
| HB 51/Rep. D. Brown, R-Hungry Horse | This bill would change the $4 fee on vehicle registration from an opt-out to an opt-in, putting funding for state parks at risk. | Defeated in House Committee | OPPOSE |
| SB 435/Sen. Brenden, R-Scobey | This bill would prohibit the state from any net gain in state land, precluding projects like the Working Forests Initiative (HB 14) | PassedSenate 26-24, Defeated in House Committee | OPPOSE* |
| SB 131/Sen. Williams, D-Missoula | This bill will assist local government with mapping the wildland-urban interface for land use planning. | Passed Senate 29-21, Passed House 70 - 29, Signed by Governor | SUPPORT |
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| SB 423/Sen. Jackson, R-Kalispell | This bill sets up a voluntary 20-foot best management practices zone next to every perennial stream in the state, discouraging permanent structures. The bill states that it is designed to protect water quality, but the distance is not sufficient. | Defeated in Committee | OPPOSE |
| SB 402/Sen. Peterson, R-Buffalo | This bill would define "regulatory takings", overturing two MT Supreme Court cases, and forcing the state to compensate two game farm owners at a cost of over $1 million. | Passed Senate 32-18, Defeated in House Committee | OPPOSE* |
| HB 406/Rep. Reinhart, D-Missoula | This bill would clarify the process of interim zoning which is often a crucial part of land use planning. | Defeated in House Committee | SUPPORT |
| SB 307/Sen. Tutvedt, R-Kalispell | This bill allows for "exempt sales" of land which can be subdivided without proper review. This would reinstate an old loophole that could allow a parcel of land to be subdivided very quickly. | Defeated in Senate Committee | OPPOSE |
| SB 305/ Sen. Tutvedt, R-Kalispell | This bill makes major changes to subdivision permitting law, making it more difficult for local government to protect taxpayers, neighbors, and wildlife from badly designed or located subdivisions. Amendments take out the problematic portions of this bill. | Passed Senate 50-0, Passed House 94-6, Signed by Governor | NEUTRAL w/ Amendments |
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| SB 507/Sen Story, R-Park City | This bill allows DNRC to manage structures on land underneath navigable streams. | Passed Senate & House (with MT Audubon amendments), Amended by Governor | SUPPORT/Amend |
| SB 437/Sen. Perry, R-Manhattan | This bill would prevent people from using an exempt well as the water source for private fish ponds. | Passed Senate, Defeated in House Committee | SUPPORT* |
| SJ 7/Sen. Brenden, R-Scobey | This resolution opposes the Clean Water Restoration Act which provides federal protection for all US waters. More Info Here | Passed Senate 32-18, Defeated in House Committee | OPPOSE* |
| SB 200/Sen. Erickson, D-Missoula | This bill bans household cleaning products containing phosphorus in counties with water bodies exceeding nutrient standards, which is currently the Clark Fork River. More Info Here | Passed Senate 34-15, Passed House 61-39, Signed by Governor |
SUPPORT* |
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| HB 2/Rep. Sesso, D-Butte | General Appropriations/ FWP Budget. We supported FWP's nongame check off program, as well as a full time position for a land use planner who assists local government officials with land use planning impacts to wildlife. | Committee hearings | SUPPORT |
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A few ACRONYMS:
FWP = Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
DNRC = Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation
For more information, contact Casey Perkins, MT Audubon's Legislative Intern at mtmagpie@mtaudubon.org or 406-443-3939.